Cerveza has gotten a lot of attention in the past 10-15 years. Before the ubiquitous Corona, it seems like few people were drinking the style called Cerveza. Technically, Cerveza is a style only in so far as German lagers are a style. What do I mean by that?
Well, beer, as we know it, did not actually actually exist in Mexico and many other countries until barley became available as a crop, so many of these countries have another ferment-able that is actually traditional alcohol for their country. Corn, Agave, or whatever else serves to replace barley. At any rate, once “the new world” was “discovered,” there was an influx of people, barley, and beer, which eventually made its way south of the border.
German immigrants from Bohemia are likely the people who first really got beer going in Mexico. Consequently, Mexican beers are actually German beers. Of course, the corn, rice, or other adjunct can make its way into these Mexican beers. Often, Cervezas have mild skunky qualities, which are normally associated with higher levels of particular chemicals that create the smell and taste (notably DMS). Light-struck hops can also be a source. At any rate, Cervezas are analogous to being a lager beer (or so it seems). Thus, Cerveza has become a particular interpretation of a traditional lager, which seems to be enough to be considered a style. This is really the style in a nut-shell. If you want to read about what makes something a lager, here is our article on the subject.
And here I thought cerveza was Spanish for beer. Me gusta cerveza Negra Modelo. Es la mejor de Mexico.
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I guess it is. Cerveza is to lager as band-aid is to adhesive strips, so I think it has taken on its own nuance.
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Cerveza also derives from the latin name of the species that provides fermentation: Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
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We need to make sure that we distinguish that this is not specific to “Cerveza” as a style…I’m sure you already knew that. In fact, there are several strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which most often refer to yeasts used in Ales. I would guess that Saccharomyces carlsbergenis (or uvarum, as many like to call it) was actually used in this beer. This is where brew language and common tongue don’t seem to match up. I don’t know this for a fact, but this is the more common lager variety of yeast.
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